


feel it all around

by founderofshield (spaceshipdear), tropicalcap



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Captain America Reverse Big Bang 2019, Captain America Steve Rogers, Domestic Bliss, F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, Luna and Scout, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Post-Endgame, Stucky - Freeform, golden retrievers, little shit bucky barnes, they have two dogs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-01
Updated: 2019-06-01
Packaged: 2020-04-05 18:55:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19046368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spaceshipdear/pseuds/founderofshield, https://archiveofourown.org/users/tropicalcap/pseuds/tropicalcap
Summary: When the words 'genetically engineered supersoldiers' pop into anyone’s mind, they don’t usually think about scented candles and throw blankets. They don’t think about Golden Retrievers as pets, nor one of the aforementioned supersoldiers tucked into a couch, knitting a navy blue sweater, both of the Golden Retrievers at his feet, curious eyes on the needles in his hands.No one thinks about any of that, but that’s exactly what’s waiting for us when we arrive at Captain Steve Rogers’ and Sergeant James Barnes’ household.Or, a fic disguised as a TIME Magazine piece on James Barnes and Steve Rogers





	feel it all around

**Author's Note:**

> Based off [this wonderful edit](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1r5j0K-HUvnXLCyhuQYP-OrZBrPdVNY38/view) made by my RBB artist, Emilie!
> 
> Thank you for being so kind and patient when I was feeling my worst and doubting everything. Just your existence kept me going, and I hope I didn't let you down. You were a wonderful partner, and I'm really happy I got to work with you.
> 
> A few things about the story: the fic is written as a TIME Magazine article and is completely italicized. It's written from the perspective of two journalists, so there's a lot of "we" usage, but I hope it's still easy to read! Lastly, this fic gave me an eternal headache that is only now beginning to let up and only because it's finally posted.
> 
> A huge thank you to my darling Rae for giving this a read before posting!
> 
> Please let me know what you guys thought, and I hope you enjoy!

**_Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes: Life After Retirement_ **

 

**_April 20th, 2019_ **

**_Brooklyn, New York_ **

 

_ When the words 'genetically engineered supersoldiers' pop into anyone’s mind, they don’t usually think about scented candles and throw blankets. They don’t think about Golden Retrievers as pets, nor one of the aforementioned supersoldiers tucked into a couch, knitting a navy blue sweater, both of the Golden Retrievers at his feet, curious eyes on the needles in his hands. _

_ No one thinks about any of that, but that’s exactly what’s waiting for us when we arrive at Captain Steve Rogers’ and Sergeant James Barnes’ household. _

_ The apartment looks just like every other one on the next five streets over— a Brooklyn brownstone that lets in too much light from the bay windows in the living room — but there’s something that sets it apart from the rest. Maybe it’s the iconic, star-spangled Vibranium shield hiding in the corner next to a bookshelf or, maybe, it’s the brown-haired soldier knitting a navy blue sweater. _

_ “He should be done in a few days,” Captain Rogers says when he notices us looking at the formerly feared assassin working quickly through the colored thread. “This one’s a passion project.” _

_ Luna and Scout — Barnes and Rogers’ fur-children — sleepily blink up at us from Sergeant Barnes’ feet, going back to their nap when they realize we’re not here to threaten their parents. They make it difficult for Barnes to stand, so we make our way around the back of the couch to greet him, sitting on the armchairs opposite the sofa. _

_ Captain Rogers asks us what we’d like to drink, then comes back a few seconds later, glasses in hand. He joins Barnes, trying his best not to wake up Scout, who only growls lowly at his failed attempt, looking extremely unimpressed. Barnes and Rogers shake their heads like they’re dealing with a grumpy toddler, cuddling into each other when Rogers sits. _

_ This is what retirement looks like. _

_ James Barnes and Steve Rogers are part of the most exciting times for science and history. Lives spanning entire centuries, they’ve fought more battles and have endured more than their fair share of experiments on their bodies than most people in modern times. Their legacies survived for decades, printed in old newspapers, posters from wartime and even comics— Barnes and Rogers were rendered timeless. _

_ In 2011, and then again in 2014, it was confirmed that they were, indeed, timeless. A scientific concoction that took Rogers from a sickly kid to a warrior come out of a Greek epic, and Barnes from a typical army man to a world-known, incredibly feared assassin, coupled with long periods of cryogenic sleep preserved their bodies, their minds, to be the exact same as when they “died” back in the 1940s. _

_ Their physical selves weren’t the only things considered timeless. Barnes and Rogers share a bond that anyone privy to it could become incredibly jealous even without meaning to. _

_ At eleven years old, Steve Rogers was already filled with a thirst for justice. At twelve years old, James Barnes was already filled with enough patience to handle Rogers’ bouts of justice-seeking when that thirst needed to be quenched. They met in an alley, Rogers bruised and bleeding when Barnes chased his tormentors away. _

_ “You’re an angry one, huh?” Rogers says of the first words Barnes ever said to him. “I knew he wouldn’t let me be alone, after that.” _

_ Barnes didn’t. From that moment on, they were attached at the hip. Their mothers joked that neither had just the one son— Barnes was Sarah Rogers’ son as much as Rogers was Winifred Barnes’. _

_ “They used to get us confused sometimes,” Barnes laughs, hiding his smile in Rogers’ chest. “Ma would whoop both of us, too. Said she didn’t care ‘cause we were always in each others’ pockets anyway.” _

_ When Captain Rogers was eighteen years old, his mother passed away. It wasn’t sudden— she’d been sick with tuberculosis for a while before her demise, and Rogers had dealt with the work of keeping the both of them afloat when he’d been plagued with whooping cough, arrhythmia, asthma, and a myriad of other illnesses that left him unable to work lucrative jobs. They’d scraped by, but there came a point when the money wasn’t enough for medication, rent, and food, and Sarah couldn’t hold on any longer. _

_ Rogers doesn’t remember this time very fondly. He’s never been one for “charity” as he puts it, and he felt like, at the time, Sarah’s sickness could have gotten better. However, being a nurse, she was exposed to sick patients up until it became difficult for her to leave the house. _

_ “They didn’t want help,” Barnes says, tone slightly bitter. Rogers seems to stiffen, but the movement is almost imperceptible unless you look for it. “I swear, they fed off each other’s stubbornness.” _

_ Captain Rogers laughs at that. Sergeant Barnes looks up at him from where he’s cuddled against the blonde’s chest, and the atmosphere in the room dissipates almost as soon as it came in. Barnes’ eyes seem to shine with the Sun’s fire, warm and loving when they look at Rogers’ bearded face. Rogers returns the gaze, ice blue eyes full of adoration and something akin to wonder— how these two were so lucky to find each other, only the universe knows. _

_ “I think we always knew,” Captain Rogers says. His hand moves from Barnes’ upper arm to lie across his outer thigh, the brunette seemingly melting into the touch. “It wasn’t easy to admit at first, but we did.” _

_ “I brushed him off a few times,” Sergeant Barnes laughs. “But there was a point when I couldn’t ignore it anymore.” _

_ That point came one cold autumn night when Rogers’ mother was at her worst and Captain Rogers succumbed to calling the Barneses for help. While Winifred and Rebecca — Sergeant Barnes’ younger sister — tended to Sarah in her bedroom, Sergeant Barnes went to check on Captain Rogers. _

_ The scrawny blonde had been wide awake, skin under his eyes dark and sunken, remnants of the nights he hadn’t been to sleep since Sarah’s ordeal started. Like any other night wherein Captain Rogers had dealt with cold flashes and night tremors, Sergeant Barnes lied with him the dark. It was then that Rogers gathered up the courage to lean in and kiss his best friend since childhood for the first time. _

_ “I still don’t know what happened,” Rogers shrugs when we ask how he knew to do it then and not before. “Something just told me it was time.” _

_ “Probably all that sleeping you weren’t doing,” Sergeant Barnes snorts. He shakes his head fondly, burrows closer into Rogers’ embrace and presses a kiss to the blonde’s chest. “It was time, though. I’m glad you did it.” _

_ Rogers beams at his lover, his best friend. _

_ We try not to melt. _

 

**~**

 

_ From the living room, we move towards the study-slash-art room, eyes roving over the seemingly dozens of military awards, plaques, and medals lining the apartment walls. _

_ Sergeant Barnes shrugs. “Decorative, most of them.” _

_ There are as many, if not more, pictures of loved ones occupying the same wall space. We recognize the rest of the Avengers crew, all in different states of familiarity and candid behavior. One picture, in particular, catches our attention— a wide shot of Rogers slumped over a couch in a cavernous living area, mouth gaping almost as if he’s in the deepest sleep of his life. Closer to the shot stand Tony Stark and Thor, grinning wide and giving a thumbs-up to the person taking the photo. _

_ “That’s a good one,” Barnes laughs, the sound low and warm. Rogers isn’t far behind, though the pink blooming on his cheeks tells us he’s more embarrassed than amused. “First time I got drunk since ‘43.” _

_ Rogers refuses to give us any information about the happenings of that night that led to him passing out in the middle of their team get-together, but we don’t have to pry for much longer. Barnes doesn’t say much, but he mentions that other-worldly liquor was involved. We can only think that someone introduced Rogers to Everclear. _

_ Closer to the study, we spot a familiar face. With kind brown eyes and her signature red lip, Agent Margaret Carter sits proudly amongst the family portraits. There are several pictures of her— most yellowed and faded, but there’s a more recent photo, all bright lights, and white hospital walls. _

_ Agent Carter lies on a hospital bed, frail yet beaming, holding hands with Rogers. Clean shaven and still unfazed by the extraterrestrial forces that would come a few years down the line, Captain Rogers looks at her just how he looks at Barnes any given day. _

_ Carter and Rogers’ relationship is one for the history books as well— it’s the only relationship tied to Rogers that made it to the books. They first met during Rogers’ training at Camp Leigh, bonding over Carter’s admiration for his clever mind, his good heart, and Rogers’ desire to maybe one day become someone that could help the little guy. _

_ After throwing himself on a dummy grenade he thought was live — “Can’t believe I wasn’t there for that one,” Barnes rolls his eyes — Rogers says Agent Carter tore him a new one. _

_ “She was impressed,” Rogers beams, looking weirdly proud of almost getting himself blown up. “But my  _ **_god_ ** _ was she pissed.” _

_ From there, they saw each other on and off while Rogers became the face of war. _

_ Captain America toured the world selling bonds and an idea of WWII that anyone in their right mind today would’ve laughed at. He punched Hitler so many times his arm got tired and he had to switch for the remainder of the tour, but he says it helped him become ambidextrous when he had to punch the real bad guys, a few years down the line. He wore blue tights under blue shorts, a cowl that looked straight out of a Halloween costume, and danced and sang and carried women in sparkly outfits. _

_ He was the face of America. _

_ During this time, he felt less of an asset of war and more like a dancing monkey. He spent many nights in cramped dressing rooms and shielding his eyes from bright stage lights, sweaty and uncomfortable and picking wedgies as discreetly as he could when hundreds of eyes were trained on him at any time. He felt suffocated, could never find a moment alone unless he escaped the people that got him into the showbusiness mess in the first place, hiding in the back of speakeasies, nursing the same watered-down drink for hours. _

_ During this time, he and Agent Carter saw each other sporadically. They’d become romantically involved after one fateful night, both of them worn down by the war and agitated by the seemingly dumb tactics being used by their superiors during battle — said so by Captain Rogers and Sergeant Barnes alike, we’re not war tactitians. Rogers doesn’t share any details, but the faraway look in his eyes, the glint of happiness behind them, that tells us anything his lips don’t. _

_ Then came Azzano. While Rogers was off lifting motorcycles full of women and living up to his slogan of  _ **_The man with a plan!_ ** _ , Barnes was held captive in an unfamiliar country. We don’t ask much about it, but just how Rogers’ eyes let us know about Agent Carter, Barnes’ arms crossing in front of his chest, and the way he steps further back from us let us know that his time there was too much for any of us to hear about. _

_ Barnes does tell us of that night he saw his best friend’s eyes staring back at him for the first time in years. _

_ “I thought I was dead,” Barnes chuckles, but there’s hardly any humor behind it. Rogers places a hand on his shoulder. “But then I realized I wasn’t, and then I was too busy running for my life next to this one, so I didn’t have a lot of time to take in the scenery.” _

_ Military life back at camp was relatively okay for the next few months. The Howling Commandos were formed, and then came fighting and overtaking Nazi territory like it was taking candy from a baby. There are a few photos of the war group together — Timothy Dugan, Jim Morita, James Falsworth, Gabe Jones, Jacques Dernier — all their smiling faces dirty and grimy, telling a story that many of their war buddies wouldn’t live to see. _

_ Romantic life, though, was a different story altogether. _

_ Barnes recalls feeling the most distant from Rogers he’s ever felt. _

_ “‘S like I was just— there,” “I was thinking about the next battle, the next night we’d finally sleep in a bed, the next night I’d  _ **_actually_ ** _ sleep. I wasn’t thinking about Steve, or Peggy, for that matter.” _

_ Captain Rogers bristles at that— it’s plain as day. Sergeant Barnes takes a moment to think, and the warmth and love in the room are suddenly clouded with decades of history between lovers that have seen more than they ever thought they would, in this life. _

_ “There was this one night,” Sergeant Barnes’ Brooklyn drawl is oddly comforting when the room feels just a tad too cold. “Peggy was wearin’ this red dress that made everyone in the bar look at her. She was done up all pretty — red lips, curled hair and everthin’ — and when she came over to talk to us, I knew it was for Steve.” _

_ Barnes recalls feeling powerless— the same suffocation Captain Rogers felt on the stage, Sergeant Barnes felt in that stuffy, dimly lit bar. The world ate at him, and he soon found himself running out of the bar, Captain Rogers hot on his heels. _

_ “It was a difficult conversation,” Captain Rogers has that same faraway look in his eyes, one he trades for simply looking at the ground. We only just realize that this topic is one that couldn’t have been avoided, but one that would have been best to do so. “We were yelling, crying, but we said everything we hadn’t since that first night we kissed.” _

_ They don’t offer much to explain what was said, but they mention the tension wasn't because of Carter. _

_ “We were dumb kids,” Rogers shrugs. “At least in that aspect. We didn’t know who we were by ourselves, so we sure as shit wouldn't have known who we were together.” _

_ Barnes nods, leaning against the wall opposite Peggy’s photo. We all jump when he steps on a squeaky toy, both supersoldiers letting out colorful words at the noise. _

_ “It was difficult, at first,” Captain Rogers continues. “In the field… they never really tell you what it’s like to reconnect with someone you thought dead. Someone special. We didn’t even know what we were at that point— friends? Lovers? We knew it could never go anywhere, so we just kind of. Didn’t mention it.” _

_ “Two dum-dums just make a quadruple dum-dum,” Barnes laughs. “I like to think we managed to get our shit together. Wait, can I swear in this?” _

_ “I already did, so,” Captain Rogers joins in the giggles. “We’re fucked anyway.” _

_ After their laughter dies down, Barnes is quick to point out that Peggy Carter was never an antagonist in either of their books. _

_ “She was a remarkable woman,” Barnes grins, like he knows something we don’t. “She could pack a punch the same way she could make you rethink your entire life with just a few choice words.” _

_Carter wasn't just a romantic plot in Rogers' book, like the general public seems to think. If anything, Rogers' love eclipsed the rest of Carter's achievements. SHIELD wouldn't have been what it came to be without her. She left behind years of research, battle tactics, and a family, and it's not something either of the men would let anyone forget. They keep a copy of her SHIELD credentials sheet on their wall, and a picture of her and her family in the living room._

_ It’s still cold in the room, slightly somber, and we start to think that maybe Peggy Carter lives in this relationship like a ghost. _

_ “No,” Captain Rogers lives every bit up to his namesake, his tone hard and unflinching. “It’s never been like that. It was never like that.” _

_ Barnes keeps quiet, like he knows this is Rogers’ side of the story that he never got to tell. _

_ “With Peggy in the picture, there were expectations,” Captain Rogers says. “We were interested in each other from the moment we met, and, during the time we worked together, something blossomed. There was trust, love, so much love. We had everything.” _

_ “And then I came in and ruined it for everyone,” Barnes moves away from the wall, hip-checking Rogers as he does so. Captain Rogers rolls his eyes, fondness written all over his face when Barnes wraps an arm around his waist. “‘M kiddin’, dollface. I love you.” _

_ “Love you too, pal,” Rogers sighs. He turns to fully envelop Barnes in his arms, nuzzling his hair. It’s quiet for a few moments, and we’ve never felt more like intruders. _

_ A young Peggy Carter smiles at us from behind them, her face immortalized in a home full of love. One she would’ve fit in perfectly, had she had the time. _

 

**~**

 

_ Afternoon falls on us in the blink of an eye. Luna and Scout wake up from their hours-long nap to the rattling of leashes, the sleep gone from their faces as soon as they hear the sound. Their tails wag excitedly, anxious for the promise of a walk and fresh air. _

_ We accompany Barnes and Rogers on their walk, falling a bit behind while they talk. _

_ They choose a park close enough to their home that we don’t sweat on the way there, but far enough that the brownstones become fewer and fewer after only a few corners. It’s cool outside, nothing like the terrible winter the city just endured, and Barnes and Rogers walk hand-in-hand, still seeking warmth. _

_ “Y’know,” Captain turns to look back at us. He points towards a dilapidated building off to the side. “This used to be one of the best delis around.” _

_ “Don’t you dare say that,” Sergeant Barnes glares at the blonde. “McAllen’s was far superior and I’ll fight you on that.” _

_ The conversation then becomes animated, both men declaring their love for their deli of choice. From delis they move onto baseball teams and how they’re doing at the moment, Rogers never refusing to admit not to be a Dodgers fan. Barnes laughs at him. _

_ “They’re not even in Brooklyn no more!” _

_ It’s amusing as it is endearing, watching the two of them. They walk around, let Luna and Scout off their leashes, and take a seat underneath a tree. Captain Rogers immediately leans into Sergeant Barnes’ chest, their hands intertwined on Rogers’ torso. _

_ “We’re old,” says Rogers. “We sit a lot.” _

_ No one would be able to look at either of the men and deduce their real ages. At one-hundred-and-two years old, Sergeant Barnes looks like any other 30-something man living in New York. He dresses in black joggers and a gray V-Neck shirt, his hair pulled back in a half up-do, square-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. _

_ Rogers looks no different. Golden-haired and statuesque, he keeps portraying that same perfect ideal those scientists had in mind when they accepted him for their project. He dresses more casually now, the waist-high slacks and checkered shirt combo he used to wear traded in for light blue jeans and a white t-shirt. _

_ “I used to look like Mr. Rogers,” he laughs, when we point out the wardrobe change. “The actual Mr. Rogers— you ever watch him?” _

_ Both men paint a picture fit for the twenty-first century, a stark contrast to the time of their upbringing. They’re more laid-back, relaxed, even more so now that they’re done with being super and are starting to understand normalcy. _

_ Being thrown into one of the deadliest, most violent wars in modern history in their early twenties would’ve changed them as men, had they survived. Add on to that being frozen for seventy years, being brainwashed and used as a murder machine, and, not one, but two alien invasions… it’s amazing to see how they’ve managed to cope and even attempt to be normal, after all the trauma. _

_ “It’s not easy,” Barnes says, accompanied by a nod from Rogers. “I can count on one hand how many nights I slept the first few years.” _

_ “I think about the past a lot,” Captain Rogers says. “It’s taken a lot of therapy to get where I am right now.” _

_ Captain Rogers thought about what could’ve happened, had he not crashed that plane into the Atlantic. He thought about what it would’ve been like to live out the rest of his life as Peggy Carter’s husband— if their kids would’ve turned out looking like her and if they would’ve been as stubborn as he was, growing up. _

_ “Sometimes I can’t help but think I’m romanticizing the whole thing,” Rogers looks like he’s anywhere but here with us. Maybe he’s in that plane again, reliving that icy cold every second that passes. “You know how old people — like us, yes, sweetheart — always reminisce about the good old days and that. Maybe it wouldn’t have been as great as I imagined it. Maybe I’m remembering it all wrong— maybe I was just making it up so I could’ve coped better with being here.” _

_ It’s quiet. _

_ “People always say ‘man out of time’ but I don’t think they know what it means,” Barnes looks as distant as Rogers. Maybe they’re in that place together. “I don’t remember my time. When I do, I have a journal I write things in, because I might not have that memory again.” _

_ Rogers squeezes Barnes’ fingers in his own, shifting closer into him. _

_ “I look like a loon sometimes, you should see me,” Barnes cracks a grin. “Running to that little black book, swearing to high heaven because I forgot where I put it last. Stevie gets a real kick out of it.” _

_ We keep a watchful eye on Luna and Scout. The golden-haired kids running around, making friends as furry and playful as they are. At one point, they circle around a Border Collie puppy who looks as scared as her owner, watching the two Retrievers try to get the small one to play with them. _

_ Captain Rogers shoots up from Barnes’ hold, running after the two dogs and apologizing to the owner from twenty feet away. _

_ “He always goes first,” Barnes says while we dust ourselves off and start walking towards the bashful supersoldier and the starstruck woman in front of him. “Less intimidating.” _

_ We reach Captain Rogers just in time to see the woman tell him how she has all the original comics of his adventures, and how brave he was during the battle of New York. Turns out, she was in the middle of it— she watched in horror and then awe as Captain America himself jumped in front of her, slicing up the Chitauri hostiles before they could get to her. _

_ “I don’t expect you to remember me—“ she says, but Captain Rogers interrupts her. _

_ “In front of that Shack Shack place?” He asks. We don’t correct him. “You had the lilac hair, right? I remember.” _

_ “Shake— Shake Shack,” she offers, weakly. Her eyes wide as saucers, we fear that she might faint right then, or worse, start screaming and crying. By the looks on Rogers’ and Barnes’ faces, they fear the same. _

_ Thankfully, she does neither. Instead, she starts giggling. Her hands running through her hair, her puppy looking up at her in the same confused manner the rest of us are… it’s a situation both supersoldiers are familiar with, but will never get used to. _

_ “It’s… weird,” Rogers tells us about the incident on our way back to their home. “I thought the novelty might’ve worn off since, y’know, I died, but it just made everyone more interested.” _

_ Captain America is — or was, since he’s now retired — an icon for the ages. He inspired people around the world, not just Americans, to fight for the ones who need help the most, and to take matters into their own hands when nobody else would do it. He wasn’t just _

_ Steve Rogers is not that different from his superhero persona. He’s always been one for justice, and he doesn’t keep quiet when he has the opportunity to speak up, whether it benefited him or not. Still, the man behind the cowl — back when it was part of his getup — isn’t one-hundred percent the same person when he’s lying around on a Sunday night, with his two dogs at his feet, and his best friend in his arms. _

_ “Steve Rogers is full of fear,” he tells us. “It’s not as if Captain America just goes head first into anything, but Steve usually measures the odds of jaywalking or not, when he could get hit by a car.” _

_ “Yeah,” Barnes pipes up. “And Captain America jumps out of buildings without a parachute. Planes, too. Matter of fact, Steven Grant Rogers threw himself on a grenade— didn’t we just talk about that  _ **_today_ ** _?” _

_ Captain Rogers looks at the ground, the smile on his face apologetic yet somehow mischievous. _

_ “You gotta admit I look cool doin’ it,” he says, lifting his gaze and setting it on Barnes. “You know you love it.” _

_ We can see Barnes’ breath leave his lungs. A silent agreement passes between them, something built on a foundation as strong as Grand Central, probably, and all we can do is stand to the side and watch. _

_ For the second time in as many hours, we feel like we’re intruding. _

_ Back in the apartment, we watch this conversation go on for a few minutes. _

_ “I—” Barnes swallows thickly, eyes slightly cloudy when they focus on us, almost as if he forgot we were there. “I don’t get as much attention as Steve does.” _

_ Captain Rogers snorts, uncorks the wine and starts pouring the liquid into glasses. _

_ “That’s a filthy lie and you know it,” his quirked eyebrow somehow makes him look like he’s in full Cap status, though Barnes seems to be everything but bashful about it. “Everyone goes crazy for your murder stare.” _

_ “That’s just my face, doll,” Barnes rolls his eyes, but doesn’t deny it. “Gotta admit, though, I lied. Everyone loves me.” _

_ Sergeant Barnes makes his way over to their pantry and the fridge, taking out the necessary ingredients to make pasta. He decides on bolognese over alfredo, because the red sauce is already made. _

_ “Neither of us are Italian, but my Ma knew how to make a great sauce,” Barnes smiles, something soft and knowing. “She had a recipe book. We got it from the museum.” _

_ ‘The museum’ is the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington. It’s where Sergeant Barnes confirmed Captain Rogers’ identity and his living status after their fight on SHIELD Headquarters, back when it was operating. We don’t ask them about the battle, but it came to light shortly after the intelligence organism, quite literally, came crashing down on the city of DC. _

_ The Captain America exhibit in the museum is one of the biggest, most comprehensive, and most well-preserved exhibits in history. It’s filled with mementos — visual, physical and literary — from Rogers’ childhood, as well as the rest of the people tied to him during wartime. The exhibit boasted the original Captain America suit, though it was taken out of commission after a certain superhero stole it to use in the takedown of a major government organization. _

_ Captain Rogers laughs. “We don’t talk about that.” _

_ 2014 isn’t talked about much in the household, but Barnes mentions he enjoys the exhibit, and the way Steve is portrayed within it. Rogers doesn’t care much for it, but he says he has to give credit where credit is due— the restoration artists do a wonderful job of keeping everything together. _

_ “We’ve been a few times,” Rogers says. He leans in to taste the sauce Barnes has outstretched on a wooden spoon, giving a little nod. “Mostly to make sure the information is up to date.” _

_ “Also to make sure all the photos they have are the good ones.” Barnes grins, sharp and quick.  _

_ Watching them work in the kitchen is as amusing as it is endearing. _

_ They dance around one another, the layout to the kitchen they’ve been living in for years now familiar, unmistakable even with their eyes closed. Barnes tends to reheating the sauce — “There’s a special way to do it; Steve’ll burn it.” — while Rogers watches over the boiling fettuccine noodles and begins making a salad. _

_ “Nothin’ like that army food, huh?” He jokes, wiggling his eyebrows at his best friend. _

_ Barnes only rolls his eyes. “That joke never gets old, doll.” _

_ Dinner goes by without a hitch, with more intruding feelings for us and many lovesick, heated gazes from one (retired) supersoldier to another. They polish their wine like it’s water, which, it pretty much is, for them. _

_ “The story behind that picture from before,” Barnes whispers around a mouthful of pasta. “Thor brought liquor from his world and gave him some to try. Nobody told Stevie it would actually get him drunk. By the time we realized, he was trying to figure out how to make a Twitter.” _

_ “It didn’t work out,” Rogers chimes in on his way back from the kitchen, another wine bottle in hand. We refuse when he offers to top up our glasses, and all he does is shrug. “More for us, baby.” _

_ Under the influence of alcohol and plates upon plates of pasta, it’s almost easy to forget that both these men have fought for our safety more than they’ve been able to make pasta for dinner or take their dogs to the park. _

_ It’s easy to forget that James Buchannan Barnes thought he met death the moment he was recruited into the army, then again once more when he fell off that train in a frozen tundra. He was pushed to the edge and brought back every single time by the hands of people who only wanted to hurt — who only wanted  _ **_him_ ** _ to hurt — and lived to tell the tale. Sergeant Barnes is only a title, one that lives in the very far corners of his mind, one that isn’t visited as much as he’d like to. _

_ From now on, though, he’s only known as Bucky. _

_ Captain Rogers has proved, time and time again, that he’s more than the shield he (used to) carry. He’s a man that believes in the future, in humanity’s role within it, and how we can change the present — even just a small portion of it — to make sure we get the future we deserve. He’s not a nationalist by any means. He believes in the good parts of all people just as much as he knows, and believes, in the bad. He just wants us to come to terms with the fact that we can choose which one we’re known for. _

_ He’s known as ‘the man out of time’ but, for the first time, he feels as if he has all of his life yet to live. _

_ Before we leave, there’s one more question we have to ask them: what excites them the most about retirement? _

_ “Knitting.” Bucky says, deadpan. _

_ Steve shares a look with him, grins the biggest he has all day. “Watching Bucky knit.” _

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Go follow [Emilie](https://founderofshield.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr :D


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